Thunderbirds Are Go.. At The RAF Museum

In a special one-day event, ‘Model Futures’ celebrates the art of science fiction model making in film and television with talks and presentations by industry insiders.

Since the early days of silent films, model effects – or ‘miniatures’ – have played an important role in creating screen illusion. With the use of models film-makers can create scenes – or even entire worlds – that would otherwise be impossible to capture on film.

British film-makers have proved particularly inventive in developing the art of miniatures, allowing the UK to become a world leader in the production of science fiction and fantasy films – notable successes including 2001; A Space Odyssey, and the Star Wars, James Bond and Superman franchises. Television too has provided a showcase for model making skill, in series such as Dr.Who and Blake’s 7, and most famously in the many programmes devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson – among them Thunderbirds, UFO and Space:1999.

Speakers include:

Alan Shubrook, Model-Maker: 1200pm

Model maker Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, The Secret Service, UFO. Alan will be providing an exclusive presentation of his own collection of backstage photos from his days working on the shows.

Mat Irvine, Special Effects Designer: 1.30pm

Doctor Who and Blake’s 7; through Horizon and QED and onto award-winning dramas Edge of Darkness and The Singing Detective

Mike Trim, Special Effects Designer: 3pm

Thunderbirds, and its successors Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Joe 90, the Secret Service and UFO